1986 Tracker Guide v16 newbie rebuild

SCskinnywaterbuild · Jul 31, 2017

New to this site and aluminum boats in general. First a little background, I got this boat for free before it was given to me it sat in a driveway for maybe 5 years, everything else is unknown. I plan to turn it into a saltwater inshore fishing boat (fishing, gigging for flounder, shrimping). I already took the first steps and ripped out all the old rotten crap. Then sent it to my boat mechanic. Motor didn't take much to get going again and he said it has compression like its new, so that good. Now its back...and it needs a lot of work. I really do not know much about rebuilding this kind of boat other than what I have read on this site. I've worked with fiberglass boat repair before, and I've worked with wood before (not marine environment). My next step is to finish stripping it down and replace the foam, wiring, and plumbing for live well/ bilge pump. One of the major things I have questions about is what I have to do with the wood decking. I don't plan to put the carpet back on. If i paint the wood and encapsulate it in paint would that be enough to keep it in good condition for a while? or would I need to seal it in with epoxy and fiberglass then paint? I don't mind if it only lasts a few seasons.

Johnny · Jul 31, 2017

Welcome Aboard !!
the first question that is always a concern,,,, did you get a clear title with it ?

first stage: gut it completely, power wash, make a plan, draw some pictures.
then come back with specific questions on which way to proceed from there.
awesome deal you got for sure !!

if the plywood is still sound with no rot, yes, it can be used for a few more seasons
until you are ready to make your changes. I don't think it is a good idea to just
preserve the show face if you can not get to the backside also.
jus my Dos Centavos

.

SCskinnywaterbuild · Jul 31, 2017

Thanks for a quick reply. Yes clear title, registration hadn't even expired yet (his new female in charge wanted it gone from the yard asap). Need to trash the old boards, the question was for new wood and sealing it up. Got a break from the action of life next week and plan to have it down to the bone ready to start will add pics and drawings of what I plan to add back. Keeping it clean and simple.

water bouy · Jul 31, 2017

Nice. How big is the motor. I recently found 1/4" aluminum composite for less than marine plywood costs.

SCskinnywaterbuild · Jul 31, 2017

25 Merc, so the smaller of the options for these I assuming. would 1/4" aluminum composite be lighter than wood?

pbw · Aug 1, 2017

Nice find, looks like a solid layout! Wis I could find boats like those around here.

I epoxied all the wood in my boat. It was an extra $200 for epoxy and it adds about 1/8 inch to the wood all over. my goal is for the wood to last at least ten years.